STOP ROP

In this viewpoint article published in the ‘Journal of global health’ we cover how ROP as a disease of public health importance fulfils all the criteria laid out by Wilson and Jungner way back in 1968. It is old but still Gold Standard.

https://jogh.org/2023/jogh-13-03028

SCREEN EVERY ELIGIBLE PRETERM EYE 👁️

Screening and surveillance for retinopathy of prematurity: A Wilson and Jungner framework approach — JOGH Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a potentially blinding disease, has emerged in distinct epidemics, with low birth weight, gestational age, and exposure to oxygen identified as primary risk factors [1]. Understanding its epidemiology has highlighted the need for prevention through public health pol...

It is a concern that there is still a state of denial about the prevalance of ROP in India.

The picture depicts the care taker attitude in a stepwise manner.

We should be at the stage of advocating for ROP.

Please share with your Paediatric colleagues.

http://www.paediatrics.uwa.edu.au/research/cnre/kidrop-report

We are extremely humbled with the National Health & Medical Research Council, (Australia) report on our KIDROP program. They have evaluated it based on the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and have found it ‘successful in filling the service gap’. This interim report was produced after their evaluator visited, audited and documented our processes, outreach activities and interviewed all other stakeholders and beneficiaries.
In their ‘rigorous evidence based approach’ they conclude that the KIDROP model must ‘feed in to the broader service of health planning for ROP services nationally and internationally'.
Most significantly, they find that the KIDROP model “reaffirms the belief that tele-imaging is the answer to tackle the enormous burden of screening for ROP in India” They strongly recommend that the model should be "expanded" along with promoting “primary prevention”.
The report’s final conclusion reads that “any deviation from the current model and regressing back to indirect ophthalmoscopy performed by inadequately trained ophthalmologists could be fraught with the danger of sub-optimal management of ROP”
(the link to the article will be posted on their website shortly and we will update the same)

Zone classification similar to ICROP (from public health point of view), severity

Zone 3: well established system, could be fragile in future, because of increased workload…

Zone 2: Dveloping economies,,,many preterm who are surviving are at risk of ROP…Patchy facilities for screening and treatment

Zone 1: centre, will be the focus in future,,as IMR comes down the ROP burden may increase. with no proper infrastructure this can be worrying.

As the neonatal mortality comes down, morbidity (including ROP) goes up.

Things will change soon,,, more preterm babies will be saved..

Survival pattern and its relation to the incidence of ROP

In developing nations ROP is prevalent among the larger and more mature infants too.